“We need to do better” – Human Services Minister

…calls for timely medical reports in abuse cases

Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud has called for urgent improvements in the handling of abuse cases, warning that delays in obtaining medical reports, especially in matters of sexual violence, are weakening cases and undermining the pursuit of justice in the courts.
The Minister made this call during a visit to Region Five (Mahaica–Berbice) on Tuesday, where she highlighted growing concerns surrounding the issue.
According to the Minister, there has been a significant number of reports related to abuse cases. She noted that in instances of child abuse or adult violence, medical examinations must be conducted within a specific timeframe to retain their evidentiary value.
“If they’re not done within a certain timeframe, they have no value. You all know this; the medical professionals know this. What we have happening is that there is a push-around,” she stated.
She also did not hesitate to address a “push-around culture” plaguing the system, stressing that better must be done to improve the process.
“When children or complainants go, there’s a push-around to get medicals, especially in sexual cases. So, we need to do better with this, but the intention is to make the case report strong. A report has to go to court,” she said.
Persaud further warned that delays and incomplete documentation can severely weaken cases if they are prolonged or not properly handled.
“If a report has gaps, if a report is not sound, the case goes downhill before anything. That’s what they depend on. You can’t leave things missing from a medical report and hope to go back and remember what happened. Too many cases go downhill because of poorly written reports and medicals done long after the fact. So, I think this needs to be fixed now. We can’t wait; this has to be fixed now,” she emphasised.
In April of 2025 Guyana recorded over 300 cases; sexual abuse is recorded on a monthly basis across the country, according to statistics from the Human Services and Social Security Ministry’s Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit.